Illuminating the Blade's Shadow
by Nephalos
Summary: Katarina approaches the Blade's Shadow, demanding one last mission; kill the prince of Demacia to throw the country into political turmoil. He sees the option to frame Lux, Jarvan's grudgingly betrothed. What follows is a series of events neither of them anticipated. M for sex, violence, and politics. I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1

_**CHAPTER ONE**_

Update January 2016 - In an attempt to improve the cohesion and feeling of this story, I've made a series of serious changes. Large sections of the story have been rewritten. I hope you enjoy the result.

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Luxanna Crownguard sighed, retrieving the small, framed picture she had hastily thrown onto the floor. There she was - blonde locks full of light, a smile full of joy. And next to her, of course, was Jarvan. Much like the once glimmering golden frame of the picture, her perspective on their union had tarnished with time. She brushed away the dust that covered his face, staining her satin glove. Wasn't that the dream of every girl? The romantic cliché of marrying a prince? She chuckled at such an idea. Not this girl.

She couldn't fault him for his efforts. He had all of the courtly grace and charm of any prince. But was this what she wanted? Her hands found the withering leaves of the flowers adorning her nightstand. What she wanted? She didn't have a choice. The leaves turned into fibrous dust beneath her touch.

The slanted rays of the sun stung her eyes, and she moved back toward the comfort of her desk. They cast long shadows in their wake; she had been her too long - but what reason was there to leave? She knew what lay beyond her walls.

She wondered if she could even find excitement in the military missions she had been a part of until recently. Walking through Noxian streets in one disguise or another, attempting to steal their secrets, the rush of light ray manipulation and practical invisibility... But in this box of a room, inside the palace, that seemed so far away. There was no excitement here. Her missions had been dangerous, and more than once her life had been in jeopardy - but at least she had felt something.

Something beyond the dull grey of drifting motes of dust and withering flowers among the marble halls.

"Luxanna?"

She breathed a sigh at the sound of her fiancée's voice from the other side of the door. Was it that time already?

"Come in," Lux said. She stood up and did her best to appear cheerful.

"Good afternoon. I hadn't seen you around the palace so I thought I'd come check on you," Jarvan said as he stepped through the door. If he was a few inches taller he would've had to duck. Briefly, she was reminded of her brother - although Garen was more broad shouldered and shorter than his best friend was. For that moment, it wasn't so hard to keep a smile on her face.

"I'm well. Just resting." She could already feel the awkwardness begin to seep into the room like the dampness of the early spring outside.

"I'll have to send you new ones - those are wilting already," Jarvan said as he walked beside her. He put a strong hand gently on her shoulder while the other probed the dying flowers next to them. From his touch, it seemed that he felt Lux was almost as fragile.

His touch wasn't uncomfortable, but the weight of his hands was not unlike the burden of her armor, currently gathering dust in the armory - cold, unyielding.

"I would like that very much." She returned his smile with the same tight-lipped one that would forever remain in that picture framed in gold.

"Yes, well, it would be my pleasure. Can I expect you for dinner this evening?" He asked. With the question, he stepped back, removing his hand from her and holding them at his sides.

"I wouldn't miss it," Lux said.

"Excellent. I will see you then. You should go outside - it's too good a day to spend indoors," Jarvan said, looking between her and the flowers.

"I'll consider it," she responded, giving him a nod for courtesy's sake.

Mirroring her response, Jarvan exited her quarters - leaving her in silence once again. Glancing again at the flowers, she really considered his words. Maybe going outside would do her some good. Thoughts of the outside air and gardens seem comforting. The flowers would just be coming into bloom, and the chill of the last winter winds would linger in the breeze.

Unfortunately, the rest of the palace lay between her room and that place.

She resigned herself to her bed. Not bothering to draw back the sheets, she merely collapsed face first into the comforter. It wasn't very lady-like, but she couldn't be bothered to give a damn at this point. With that, sleep came easily.

Her dreams were evidence of her ongoing infidelity. The passion of it blossomed in her chest even as she slept; images of hidden kisses danced across her mind's eye. In her waking life the guilt of such an obvious act of treason weighed on her shoulders heavily, but when she slept she indulged in the forbidden fruit without regret. The firm grip around her waist made her shiver with anticipation as her lover touched her neck with his lips, leaving a trail of goosebumps wherever he touched her skin. She held him close, relishing the heat from his body as it moved against her own with a familiar rhythm. There were those adventurous blue eyes and that chaotic mass of golden locks - thick and wild, unlike her own blonde hair. She would run her delicate fingers through it while she massaged his scalp. Those moments of intimacy were few and far between, but they were forever infiltrating her dreams.

"My lady?" It was one of her attendants at the door.

Lux was reluctant to answer at all, given what had been interrupted. She cleared her throat and managed a pleasant-sounding, "Yes?"

"Jarvan is expecting you."

Lux blinked away the sleep against the pull of her tired lashes. Time had slipped from her grasp, and the weariness of reluctant life had caused her to not mourn it's passing. She had slept longer than intended.

"Yes, I'll be right out," she said as she stood up and glanced in the mirror, rearranging her disheveled hair. On occasions when she was exposed to the sun regularly, the color of her hair took on multiple shades. Nearly platinum in the front and on the crown, and then a soft golden color beneath. But now there was no such variation. She chose a decorative headband on a whim, sliding it back through her hair before she left the room. It was crafted from mother of pearl, allowing the sheen of her hair to shine through while worn.

Jarvan was waiting for her near the entrance of the dining hall, giving her a somewhat surprising embrace before she was allowed to pass. Lux frowned into his shoulder, where he couldn't see. He wanted something.

"That hairband looks lovely on you," he said as they separated.

"Thank you, Jarvan. Shall we?" Lux asked, gesturing past him and toward the dinner table.

Clearing his throat, the Prince wasted no time getting into what their meeting was truly about.

"I was talking to some intelligence officers today," he said, taking his own seat to her right.

"I see. What did they have to say?" She said, focused on pouring some gravy onto her ham. The cooking was quality. As always.

"Only one thing particularly special," he said, idly rolling a bottle of wine in his hand.

The motion of eating masked her partially concealed frown. Why couldn't he state his desires plainly?

"And that is?" She asked, taking a swig of her own wine.

"There's evidence of a coming assassination attempt on someone in the high court."

This peaked her interest to say the least; she was a member of the high court. She wasn't the only member, of course, and the list of potential victims was lengthy. The court involved any of the family members of the six governing houses: Lightshield, Spiritmight, Buvelle, Vayne, Laurent, and her own, Crownguard.

"My advisors and I agree that you are most suited to find out who it is and who they want."

There wasn't even a modicum of surprise in that statement. Lux had spent hours in the secret tunnels of their most formidable foe collecting information, so why wouldn't she be an obvious choice now? With her knowledge of magic she stood the best chance of getting in and out without being noticed, which was crucial in ensuring information got back to headquarters.

"How much time do I have?"

"We would like you to get started on this assignment tomorrow. We don't know how much time we have, so it is important to get started as quickly as possible. I'm sure you're aware of how dangerous something like this is to the city."

Her earlier thoughts of adventure-lust had betrayed her. The orders being issued from Jarvan's lips meant that they had been robbed of potential. It spoke to her state of being that an opportunity to die for her country had ever been considered more desirable than living in a palace.

"Of course. Demacia, now and forever, right?" She said, but she realized that they rang hollow the moment they left her mouth. To mask this, she took another sip of wine. If Demacia needed her help she wouldn't turn them down, but that didn't mean she had to sit at a dinner that had her skin crawling in aggravation.

"I apologize, but I'm not feeling well. I think I'll go lay down now." Jarvan rose as she did out of respect, wishing her well and not complaining at all that she felt it necessary to leave.


	2. Chapter 2

**_CHAPTER TWO_**

The stone gutters of Noxus glistened with the gathered drops of rain from a recent storm. Talon idly kicked at a pebble with the toe of his boot and watched it slide down into the darkness. He was familiar with these gutters. The broad gutters of Noxus were not always this clean. A smirk lit his features. Now he stood in the gutters outside of the DuCouteau residence, but it hadn't always been that way.

Turning away, he looked up at the moon. Apart from the oil lampposts sparsely populating the meandering streets, it was the only source of light in the courtyard. Noxus was not a bright place.

The barest whisper of a sound came from behind him, causing him to smile.

"You're late," he said, remaining still.

"Maybe you were just early," a feminine voice said.

Katarina. They had known each other since his teenage years. A broken puddle in the cracks of the stones reflected them together. Talon's hooded visage, Katarina's scarlet head of hair - like it had always been.

General DuCouteau had found him looting the bodies of those tossed into the gutters to survive. With extremely limited resources, he had managed to outsmart and kill the numerous assassins sent after him. Katarina's father had woken him up one night, at swordpoint - the only time he had ever been caught unaware in such a situation.

"Are you tired of picking scraps from the gutter, Talon?" he had asked sharply, his eyes firm.

He remembered looking up and not seeing anger or a desire to threaten, but a fatherly cast to the man's face. For the first time in his life, he decided to take someone's hand. From then on, he had a home - but it came at a price.

Talon turned around and gave Katarina a firm hug, "So, what did you want to meet me for? Garen not treating you right? Did you need some attention from a Noxian for a change?"

Katarina huffed, playfully punching him in the shoulder.

"Nice try."

She looked down, her visage becoming immediately more serious.

"Look. I know that I promised never to give you orders after the General disappeared."

Talon frowned, immediately knowing why he was there, "...But you need me to do something? Where is he, anyway?"

He looked around the courtyard, lowering his hood. The moonlight illuminated his profile. Katarina's soft footsteps drew her closer to him.

"...I still don't know. But we have an opportunity. We need your expertise," she said, her lips only inches from his ear.

With a whisper, she confided, "Can I count on you, Talon?"

Talon nodded wordlessly.

"We need you to kill Jarvan," She whispered firmly, putting a hand on his shoulder "No one can know I've told you this."

Talon frowned. This was more complicated than he had expected.

"That won't be easy. But a better consideration is; why is it necessary? Jarvan wouldn't be easy to take down if he were alone, never mind his entire palace guard. And your boyfriend, by the way. " Talon whispered firmly. He had turned to face Katarina now, her face very close to his. She looked down again, her fiery hair covering her eyes. Normally, her personality matched, but tonight, the heaviness of the task she had for Talon had drained her spirit.

"Garen can't know. We have an opportunity. With much of the Demacian military involved in the latest campaign, and some members of the royal family out to various embassies, there will be fewer to protect the Prince. Jarvan is the only direct heir to the throne. With him gone, all of the top families in Demacia will be eyeing the very real possibility of Royal power," Katarina said, her eyes sparkling with ambition.

"Very well. I'll leave tomorrow," Talon said without hesitation, pulling his hood back over his face, casting harsh shadows over his cheekbones.

"Talon. One more thing. Tensions in the Demacian Royal Court are high. You may be able to pin his death on a jealous noble of one kind or another. But you are not to kill or harm anyone else but Jarvan. We need as many contenders for the throne as possible," Katarina whispered firmly, removing her hand from Talon's shoulder.

"Blood for Noxus," he recited in response, nodding as well. The words rang hollow as he said them; he wasn't sure if he meant them, but he had grown used to saying them to affirm his allegiance to the house of Du Couteau, no matter the task.

Without another word, he stepped lightly over the gutter and walked back to his room, whisking his cloak around his form, hiding from the coming dawn.

Talon shrugged quickly out of his cloak, folding it precisely to fit in his suitcase. Katarina had always been amazed at the efficiency and speed with which he packed, never quite understanding how he managed to fit 5 pairs of socks into one boot and all of his boxers in the other one.

Sitting in his desk, he set out all of his blades and cleaned them, one by one, from left to right, saving the largest one affixed to his gauntlet for last. He was able to work out the small nicks that accumulated over time, but the bigger ones had to remain. They told stories of his past kills. If everything went fine, he wouldn't even have to use this one to kill Jarvan. These blades were his - different from the ones maintained by the Institute of War's Armory, to be used during his matches.

Carefully sheathing all of his blades and his gauntlet, he hid them with practiced motions in the false panel under his clothes in his suitcase. He put casual street clothes on top of it - something that wouldn't be out of place on the streets of Demacia.

Lying on his bed, he smirked briefly when he remembered that he had a match the next morning. Practice.


	3. Chapter 3

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

Talon smiled as Darius patted him on the back. It had been a tough match, but the summoner he had been in communication with knew him well. Using the power of Youmuu's Ghostblade, shadow assault, and the flash spell, he had caught out Lucian on the opposing team at a crucial moment, with the collateral damage from rake and shadow assault also taking out his lane opponent, Ahri, and the enemy Blitzcrank. He had fallen shortly afterward to Ahri's summoner's ignite, but his team won the resulting four versus two handily and pushed to the nexus.

A few of the summoners on the other side of the lobby talked loudly amongst each other, discussing what went well in the match, and what didn't go so well.

Talon was walking toward the door when he heard his name.

"Talon!"

Turning, he faced his summoner, Grandmaster Flavius Maximilian, of Noxus. Talon had a habit of brushing off most of his summoners, but Flavius was one he respected. They had played in many matches together on the Fields of Justice.

"Yes?" He asked simply.

"I was hoping I could count on you two days from now. There's a showmatch with all of the high ranking summoners, and of course, you're the champion I'm most accustomed to," Flavius said, his tone hopeful.

Flavius was nothing like Talon. The two standing together might have induced some to hilarity. Talon was a man of average height with a strong build and broad shoulders. His every movement was calculated, with practice. Flavius was a good six inches taller than him, but thin and awkward in his motions. Untamed hair and glasses did nothing to change this image.

Talon looked right into his eyes with a frown, "I'm sorry. I have other obligations. Hopefully you can find another champion. Vladimir and Kassadin are both available, I believe. Perhaps you would have luck with them."

Flavius did his best to look not disappointed, but the immediate reaction of casting his eyes downward betrayed this to Talon.

"Oh. Alright then. Well, hopefully things go well for you," he said, giving Talon a reluctant smile.

Talon nodded and left the room.

The next morning, Talon found an envelope under his door. Katarina had left it there,

doubtlessly. He hefted it before ripping it at the seam, finding documents bearing the official seal of Demacia inside.

Slipping into his Demacian street clothes, he surreptitiously made his way to the train platform back to Demacia.

Standing in line at the security checkpoint, he saw a few summoners in line behind him making gestures in his direction.

He gave them a carefree smile and walked toward them.

"Can I help you all…?" he asked, displaying uncertainty.

"Sorry, it's just that you look just like-"

His friend interrupted him, "Yeah, just like Talon. You must hear it all the time."

Talon laughed, "I don't think Talon would be caught dead wearing something like this. And in a crowd of Demacian summoners no less."

It made him inwardly sick to imitate the lighthearted banter expected of him in this social situation. But it was required of him for the job. The summoners laughed.

The group walked forward, getting out their paperwork in preparation for travel.

"So where are you all headed?" He asked them.

"We're touring the city when we get there. We've never really seen the heart of the capital before," one of them said.

Talon stepped toward the desk. The security official's falsely interested gaze wavered for a second when he saw him, but decided he must be mistaken.

"Documents, if you would," he said for the thousandth time that day.

The tourists behind Talon asked, "So what's your name? If it isn't Talon?"

Talon smiled a bit and opened the small booklet bearing a Demacian seal on it.

"Dane." He said, reading from the page upside down and repressing a frown. It would be just like Katarina, giving him the name of a dog. He retrieved his booklet after the official had looked it over and extended a hand to his new friend.

"You don't mind if I sit with you?" Talon asked, gesturing to the group. He extended a hand to the most vociferous of them.

"Aye, that's no problem. I'm Octavius, this is Dannica, and this is Marcus," he said, pointing around to his friends. Dannica shyly waved to him, but Marcus extended a hand in greeting, which Talon accepted.

"Nice to meet you all," Talon said. They passed the baggage car and handed their suitcases to the attendant. Talon was the last of the group, handing his over slowly. The attendant hefted it, a bit surprised by the weight.

Passing through the train, he hid his unease behind a tired gaze, settling into a seat beside his new friends. It was a comfortable train, with padded, spacious cars and complimentary drinks.

Talon watched the passing countryside, plotting Jarvan's demise.

"Dane," said Dannica, "We're here."

He stood up in his seat, looking around. They had indeed arrived.

"Do you think we'll see anyone at the palace? Garen and Jarvan should be home, I believe," Dannica said.

Talon frowned. Garen? He hadn't planned on dealing with him. It was no matter. He could likely be avoided.

"Eh, they'll be too busy to meet a bunch of summoners," Marcus said, retrieving a backpack from under his seat. They all walked toward the exit slowly, quickly, without bumping into too many fellow passengers. A few of them gave Talon suspicious looks, whispering to friends, who shook their heads.

The baggage attendant stood by a large trolley where people retrieved their suitcases, eagerly departing to their destinations. Walking up, he nodded politely to the attendant and retrieved his own, glad to have the familiar weight of it in his hands again.

The assassin walked with the tourists and summoners off of the train platform and into Demacia's famous town square. The palace looked over them, set on an artificial plateau, surrounded by large Oak trees, giving it the appearance of being suspended on green clouds. Silver gates loomed tall, and the long path trailed down into the square. It was a display, more than anything else. There were many ways into the palace; not all known to the public.

He followed Octavius, Marcus, and Dannica to the Buvelle Inn, rumored to have been started by the Maven of Strings herself. Talon smirked. Sona would have been far too busy for such a thing. But the Inn did a good business. Perhaps there was some truth to the matter. Perhaps Sona had played one of her famous concerts there early in her career.

Talon walked inside to speak with the innkeeper, smiling casually.

Nodding in greeting, he said, "I'll take a room for the night."

Retrieving a key from a large cabinet behind him, he pulled it off of the shelf.

"Alright. Room 218 Is available. It's fifty crowns for the room, five more if you want a hot bath prepared," the innkeeper said in practiced words.

"I'll take both," Talon said, holding out his hand with the appropriate coins.

The innkeeper scratched his beard slightly as he looked for the first time at Talon's face.

"Thank you. Have a good evening," he said, handing over the key. "The room should be ready in a half hour. If you'd like, you can sit in the lobby."

"In that case, I'll take a glass of Demacian red and whatever meal you're serving tonight," Talon said, handing the innkeeper another two coins.

"Good man. They'll serve you over at the bar. I think it's steak and potatoes tonight," the innkeeper said gruffly. He poured him a glass and handed it to him with a smile.

Talon nodded, taking the glass and situating himself comfortably in a padded leather chair by the fireplace. He ate and sipped his wine slowly, taking time savoring the flavors. It very well could be his last meal, if the job went badly.

Retrieving his key, he walked slowly up to room 218 with his suitcase, putting it next to his bed. He locked his door and immediately went to bed.

Waking up hours before dawn, Talon stood up sharply and got to work. Laying out his various blades on his bed, he decided on the appropriate ones for the job. Although likely he would use one that he stole from the palace. He walked into the bathroom and stretched before stripping naked. He ran a hand through the water in the tub.

'Still Warm', he thought, getting inside and cleaning himself thoroughly. He liked to immerse himself in the water and let it run through his hair, cleansing his thoughts of all other things besides the task at hand. Slipping through a few key backstreets, he would eventually emerge into the palace through an abandoned sally-port. It had last been used when it was besieged by Noxians over a hundred years ago, before the Institute of War was established; Talon had only discovered its existence thanks to the historical documents kept by the Du Couteau household.

He dried himself off and dressed quickly, then donning his cloak of blades and other clothes designed for practical invisibility at this time of morning. Opening the window, he stepped out onto a neighboring balcony, and then lighted down with an agile jump and roll.

Clinging to the shadows, he made his way swiftly along the side streets of the main square. The facade of the storefronts presented a very different image than what they hid. Trash and lost or forgotten artifacts had migrated from the square, to congregate in heaps in the corners of the alleys. Talon didn't mind. They made more shadows for him to blend in with.

It wasn't long before he had arrived at the door he had been looking for. It was inconspicuous, a dusty trapdoor in an overgrown lot. Pushing aside the grass, he heaved upward on the door until it opened, scattering flakes of rust everywhere. To avoid suspicion, he pulled the door closed behind him.

Descending inside, he walked along the path. Sally ports such as this were designed to be useable in the dark, and thus were always of uniform size and angle all the way until the end.

Talon frowned, nearly tripping over a boulder in his path.

'Unless there's been a cave in...' He thought, continuing with caution. It took him longer than expected, but he was able to maneuver around the rest of the boulders safely before reaching the end. If Katarina had been correct, the exit into the palace would put him in the pantry. The guards inside the palace, especially near the living quarters, would be next to nonexistent at this time of night - the nobles were comfortable with just having them guard all of the obvious entrances - not the kitchen.

Exiting into the pantry would easily be the riskiest part, as he had no way of knowing what would wait for him on the other side. Breathing heavily, he put his ear against the door and heard nothing. It was too thick to glean anything useful from listening to it.

Steeling himself for the worst, he pushed against it, making a much louder creaking noise than he would have liked. He stopped when it was partially ajar, stepping inside the pantry. It was dark, and he could smell aged oak and wine. Clearly the wine-cellar. The only torch in the room was near the door. Closing the trapdoor under him, he made sure not to disturb anything from it's place, taking light footsteps on the stone.

The dimmed star - rods of the kitchen and palace hallway made it more difficult to remain in the darkness, but there were no guards about at the time. Walking along the wall, he made his way to where he knew Jarvan's living quarters were. Testing the doorknob gingerly, he frowned upon discovering that it was locked. Apparently, the nobles weren't quite as comfortable as he thought.

Demacian locks were much more complex to pick than Noxian ones, some having twice the usual number of pins inside. Expecting nothing less, Talon had brought the best tools, slipping inside in under a minute. He locked the door silently behind him, and then froze.

Something wasn't right. He heard soft breath from the bed. But not a man's. It was too shallow.

Even in the darkness, he could see blonde hair. Lux?

'Damn,' he cursed silently. Jarvan's room must be the next door over. But if the rumors were true, perhaps they shared a walk-in-closet between the rooms? These rooms were meant for an engaged or betrothed couple, in tradition with the Demacian vows of chastity before marriage. All but the staunchest of traditionalists scoffed at that idea now.

Talon looked at Lux for a few minutes, remaining perfectly still. He watched her chest rise and fall, making certain she hadn't been disturbed by the slight noise he had caused breaking into her room.

He still needed something to kill Jarvan with. Curious, he stepped lightly into Lux's bathroom. He opened a few drawers and rifled through them with gloved hands, careful to not cause a stir. A comb. Some ointments and lotions. A decorative hairpin. His fingers settled around it. It was long enough to pierce someone's heart from the back, and sturdy enough too. Likely made from the Demacian Oak surrounding the palace. He hefted it. Or perhaps bone. Stepping from Lux's bathroom, he crossed into the closet, closing the door behind him.

The closet door into Jarvan's bedroom was slightly ajar. Cautiously, he opened it, peering inside; unlike Luxanna's room, there were no signs of life. He frowned and settled back into the closet. It was an expansive room, for a closet. Eventually, he settled behind Jarvan's shirts and crouched, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.


	4. Chapter 4

_**CHAPTER FOUR**_

The morning light hit her retina harshly. Squinting her eyes shut and covering them with the back of her hand, the Lady of Luminosity groaned inwardly. She had been up late simply laying in bed, trying to figure out how she had been so weak - and how she would rectify her mistake.

Sighing and resting her cheek on her pillow, she realized with sudden heaviness what she was about to do that day. As the Crownguard prodigy, there was a lot resting on her shoulders for her to simply refuse the options chosen on her behalf. Sitting up, Luxanna's eyes wandered over her worldly possessions as though some sort of solution rested inside them. There was no such luck.

Throwing the covers back and forcing herself out of the comfort of her bed, there was no rush in putting on decent clothes and running a comb through her hair. Catching herself in the mirror as she entered the closet both she and Jarvan shared, Lux sighed and considered her reflection with disdain. She needed to eat more. It wasn't that she had any issue eating when she was hungry, but there were rarely any indulgences afterwards. Between that and her high level of activity, Lux was all lean muscle.

As she pushed open the cracked closet door that lead to Jarvan's bedroom, she was far too involved in her own thoughts to notice anything but his already tidy bedspread. Of course he was already up. A part of her had been wishing that he would still be asleep and that she could come back later. Maybe she would have some sort of revelation; maybe this would all make sense.

His back faced her from the chair at his desk, seemingly oblivious to her presence behind him. She would have felt weird about sneaking up that way if her thoughts hadn't already been so preoccupied. Coughing gently, she painted her face with a thin-lipped smile as he turned and stood at her arrival. "Good morning."

"Good morning." She could see it in his eyes, hear in his voice that he already recognized what sort of conversation they would be having. After all, it wasn't like her to come visit him so early in the morning.

"I think you know what I'm going to say, Jarvan." She paused, weighing her words on her tongue. "I can't go through with this marriage." For the first time since she entered the room her gaze lifted to search his for some sign of empathy - some sense of understanding that would make the situation easier to bear. The look she was met with was nothing short of disappointing. There was a newfound hardness in his eyes, and in them she could tell that he wasn't going to let her go easily.

Sighing, Jarvan turned his chair in her direction and sat down, studying the floor intently. His eyes had become blank like they did when people drew within themselves, too preoccupied with their thoughts to focus on other things.

"My father will never approve of this," he said.

"My situation isn't much better, but I can't let other people run my life for me any more." She said, hoping to play on Jarvan's free spirit and his desire to make his own decisions. It was one of his more stubborn characteristics, but it seemed to be bending beneath the force of his father's will. A swift moment of silence swept between them, as unnerving as the calm that always comes just before an onslaught of rain.

"We're going through with this wedding, Luxanna. My father won't let it be any other way, and neither will I." He diverted his attention from her face to a neat, small stack of papers on his desk. They were probably about as insignificant as her own desires.

"I will not marry you, Jarvan." Her determination was bright, but the courage to back it was flickering weakly. As his hand swept across his desk and papers flew to the floor she could feel oncoming panic.

"Gods damn it Lux, yes you will," The demand resonated in her mind and bounced off the walls just as loudly.

"No, I won't. I'll leave the city - "

"No!" Their voices were rising - she could feel her own caught in her throat. Jarvan was standing now, and he wasn't the calm leader many people in the city saw him to be. The weight of anger strained his words. Lux realized that he wasn't used to being challenged, and as well as she thought she knew him this was her first one-on-one encounter with his temper.

Jarvan crossed the room in swift, long strides. Before she had a chance to react, his hands were tight around her wrists and his face very close to her own. In that moment she forgot everything but his breath on her cheek and her back to the wall. "You are not to leave the city, do you understand?" He was talking for too loudly for the close proximity they shared.

In normal circumstances the Lady of Luminosity would have defended herself. His grip would probably leave bruises on her fair skin, but in the light of everything else she ignored it. "You can't keep me caged forever, Jarvan." Her voice was desperate, and even he could probably recognize how unsure she was of such a statement. He was a prince. He could do whatever he wanted. The idea made her eyes water.

"We're to be married in one month. I want to hear nothing of this again." Jarvan let go of her hands and she found herself wishing to be anywhere but there. With a swiftness that surprised her, she found her way to the other side of the bedroom and let herself out into the adjoining hallway.

Jarvan shook his head as he watched her go, regretting his anger and words. The prickling sensation of tears nipped at his eyes, but he shook his head and made a dismissive gesture with his hand and turned back to his paperwork.

Talon was roused from his trance as he heard the couple arguing. His muscles were stiff from leaning against the wall in the same position for hours, but his devious smile brought energy to his limbs. Curling his fingers around the polished handle, he stepped silently from the shelves, moving with a gloomy purpose.

Staring into Jarvan's room, he saw Lux storm out of the room, sadness and fury in her eyes. Jarvan let out a loud sigh, burying his face in his hands. Moving swiftly, he stepped onto the carpet, just a few feet behind the Prince's chair. He was leaning over slightly, his back covered in only a shirt, exposed to Talon. It would be simple. A straight downward thrust, to the left of the spine.

He brought his blade around swiftly to Jarvan's neck, pressing the pin against his back.

"Guess who?" Talon asked.

"...Talon? How?" Jarvan froze. This hadn't been an easy morning for him. Cold sweat dripped down the back of his neck.

"It seems your world isn't quite as orderly as you'd like. I'm going to kill you now. You should thank me. It didn't seem like you'd be very happy being with Luxanna anyway," the Blade's Shadow said, his tone cold.

Jarvan's face showed not fear, but acceptance of his fate.

"Don't worry. They'll think it was her who killed you," Talon said, thrusting the hairpin into the Prince's heart, bodily forcing him against the desk. Not expecting the suddenness, he cried out before slumping over.

Letting go of the hairpin embedded in Jarvan's back, Talon turned swiftly. The guards would have heard that. He sprinted out of the room and down the hall, remembering the window he had to reach. Opening it with practiced motions, he jumped out of it and shimmied down the drainpipe.

He smirked as he walked shrouded in shadow, out of the garden's exit. He froze, feeling eyes on him.

"You heartless-!" Lux shouted, pointing at him. To most he would have appeared invisible, one with the shadow. But the Lady of Luminosity could see through such parlor tricks.

She gasped, feeling Talon's blade at her neck, interrupting her speech. He had appeared instantaneously behind her.

"Quiet. The guards will hear you. You're a wanted woman, you know," Talon whispered into her ear. She was disgusted, feeling Talon's muscular body close to her, the scent of sweat and leather clinging to him. A gloved hand bound her wrists.

"Will you cooperate?" He asked.

"Fuck you," she whispered tensely, squirming in his grasp.

"That's no way to speak to the man holding your life in his hands. Besides. I did you a favor. You didn't want to marry that prick anyway," Talon said, his voice smug; very different from the tone he had spoken to Jarvan in.

Lux was overcome. She wanted to kill Talon. Bind him with light and burn him to ashes. But she couldn't. No matter what, she couldn't get past the fact that he was right. Talon was even holding her wrists - roughly - not unlike her prince had earlier. Before the life had left his eyes.

"Are you coming with me, Lux?" Talon asked.

Lux looked down, tears obscuring her vision. She couldn't merely walk back into the palace. The guards had heard her arguing with the prince. By now they would be finding her hairpin in his back. They knew she had the military training to slip away from the palace invisibly. Her thoughts were drawn to her brother, Garen. He would be distraught. Lux knew they were close, but with the evidence so clearly against her, it would be like jumping from a pot of boiling water into the fire.

"...Yes," She whispered, tasting the tears as they dripped from her eyes. Those words were like poison, slowly killing her from the way out. If she were to be of clear mind she would have recognized that in Jarvan's death there was freedom. However, currently, all she could do was hiss in frustration as his grip tightened around her wrists.

"Leave your wand here," Talon said, forcefully moving her wrist to her side. Lux knew she had no choice and dropped it by the rose bushes in the garden. Without it, manipulating a candle flame would be the height of her power.

"We need to move. Quickly," Talon let go of her arms but kept his blade pointed at her back. Lux looked at the ground, her bangs concealing the world from her view.

She didn't want to see it anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

The Prodigal Explorer wasn't a usual sight around the Institute of War. Due to the amulet of power he wore on his glove, it always teleported him there from seemingly random locations. Occasionally, this would cause awkward situations for the summoners and his allied champions. Having once been summoned shortly after a shower and while wearing only a towel, Ezreal decided to take things up with the High Council of summoners to set some ground rules.

He agreed to stay at the Institute for three months of the year, occasionally stopping in at other times as well, in exchange for them no longer summoning him without his input.

Despite not being a 'full-time' champion like so many others, he remained one of the most popular faces on Summoner's Rift. It was on one of these extended stays at the Institute of War that he met one Luxanna Crownguard for the first time - and her protective brother not long afterward. He remembered the first time they had locked eyes.

Lux had been summoned as the mid laner on Ezreal's team, while he had been summoned to fulfill the role of marksman. At the summoner's request, he had donned his 'explorer' outfit. He personally thought it made him look rather silly.

"Hey, you're new here, right?" Lux asked him, staring at him from across the summoning platform behind their nexus. Ezreal had looked up in boredom, more focused on dealing with the shopkeeper at the time, but Lux's eyes had smitten him.

"Yeah…" he said, pausing, and then looking into her eyes. "I mean. I'm Ezreal. What's your name?"

Lux smiled and approached him. Holding her wand in one of her hands, she took Ezreal's gloved hand in one of her own, white satin smothered by rough brown leather.

"Luxanna Crownguard. Be careful, Ezreal. My brother's on the other team. I hope our team does well. He's kind of boastful," she said.

Ezreal nodded enthusiastically, "I'll do my best!"

Lux smiled at him and walked off toward her lane. Her smile was like nothing he had seen before. So white and innocent - it just set his mind at ease. The sight of her in a blue miniskirt - from her 'sorceress' outfit - made him even more reluctant to look away.

The sound of Braum's hearty laugh broke his trance.

"Oh. You like the Lux girl, hmm? I knew a girl like her once. I gave her the biggest goat in my herd!" the muscular man said, hefting his shield. He waved a large hand toward the lane they were supposed to go to. Ezreal realized that, while entranced by Lux, he had accidentally bought a hunter's machete. Luckily, he was able to refund it and buy the appropriate items instead.

Despite the minor mishap at the beginning - and Ezreal being late to lane by a few seconds - the match ended up being an overwhelming victory for Ezreal's team. Lux gave Ezreal a congratulatory hug afterward, and from that point on, they just clicked - much to Garen's chagrin. After more than a few dates, Ezreal and Lux became very close. He remembered an evening they spent together in the Institute Gardens after midnight - doing something that wouldn't be considered appropriate for a Demacian noblewoman.

Eventually, however, Ezreal committed more and more time to studying old maps and tomes. He would plan long excursions into the most remote locations of Valoran, and Lux wouldn't hear from him for months. When he returned to the Institute for his yearly three months, their relationship was rocky at best. Eventually, Lux couldn't stand it anymore. She told him to make a decision; to commit to them if he truly felt like they belonged together. Ezreal had been overwhelmed at the sudden ultimatum, and had told her that it would be better if they were friends instead.

After a few weeks of awkward silence, they started talking again. It wasn't the same as before, but they both could tell that unexpressed feelings lingered between them. There were hesitant gazes when they passed in the hall - a casual smile and a longing to say more.

Some time later, Jarvan looked to Lux as a possible wife, and she had been all too happy to take some time off from the League of Legends and return home. Her happiness, however, was short lived.

Ezreal looked around the Institute hallways, making his way toward the Demacian quarters. He could tell that something was off right away. Things were strangely quiet. He saw Vayne in the lounge, reclined in a chair and reading a book. Somewhat unusual behavior for the Night Hunter, but he supposed everyone had books they enjoyed.

"Hey, Shauna. Have you seen Lux anywhere?" Ezreal asked. Vayne looked up and closed the book in her lap, her finger holding the spot where she had last read.

Her face showed confusion, unsurety. Another unusual thing from the Night Hunter.

"She isn't here," she said simply.

"Oh. Hmm. Off with Jarvan?" He asked, sitting in an adjacent chair.

"...Look, Ezreal. I'm not really the one to tell you this, but no one else is here. I suppose I'll have to do. Lux is a fugitive. Wanted for the murder of one Jarvan the Fourth," Vayne said.

Ezreal laughed.

"That's a good one, Vayne. I didn't really take you for the humorous type, but-"

"He's dead, Ezreal. Jarvan is dead," Vayne said, her words cold. Ezreal went pale, sweat forming on his forehead.

"He… and they think Lux did it? But she would never-", he said, running a hand through his hair in anxiousness.

"I don't believe it either, but apparently Garen and the Demacian Royal Guard are 'investigating'," Vayne said, forming air quotes with her fingers.

"Garen wouldn't imprison his own sister! Someone else has to be behind this. One of Swain's assassins," Ezreal said.

Vayne nodded, "Something along those lines would make more sense to me, but apparently the evidence was incontrovertible."

"I need to look into this," Ezreal said, more to himself than to Vayne, who merely nodded and returned to reading her book. The Prodigal Explorer stood up, running off toward the train station. He never thought he'd actually seek Garen out, but he was the only one Ezreal knew of that could help now.

* * *

Talon pushed Lux into a run down farmhouse outside of Demacia.

"Do you know where we are?" Talon asked firmly, closing the door behind them quickly, causing dust to rise from the floor.

Lux barely managed to shake her head. The tears still on her cheeks and red eyes indicated that she probably hadn't seen much of anything on the way out of Demacia.

"Good," Talon said. He drew closed the only remaining window-shade in the house - the other windows were covered by boards.

"Upstairs probably looks better-," he added. He interrupted himself by catching Lux's fist in its flight toward his face. He frowned, twisting her wrist a little before letting go, causing Lux to wince.

"Why not just kill me, you bastard?" Lux said, her voice somewhere between hatred and despair.

"I can't. I was tasked to kill Jarvan, and no one else. Are you hungry?" Talon said. Lux seemed confused.

"I… what?" Lux looked into Talon's eyes, brushing a lash from her cheek.

"There should be food upstairs. In the room next to the bedroom. And a bathroom. It's dried and salted, military rations most likely. Not good, but it's edible," Talon said, walking upstairs. Lux, for the first time since they had fled, realized that she was hungry. Reluctantly, she followed him.

"It's not palace food, that's for sure." Talon said, gesturing at the food - salted pork jerky and wheat crackers. He was already eating some, chewing with gusto. It occurred to Lux that in his line of work, he had to be efficient in every action. Lux took some of the food wordlessly. Despite her royal upbringing, she was used to such food - it was common military fare.

"Were you and Jarvan always fighting like that?" Talon asked, leaning back against a wall. He held a few strips of jerky in his hand, bite marks at the ends of all of them.

Between bites, Lux said, "Didn't you hear us? How long were you in that damn closet?" Lux asked harshly.

"You don't have to answer, Lux. You're stuck here. You may as well try to be less of a bitch. I didn't plan on you being here either," Talon said, gesturing firmly with his jerky strips.

Lux looked down, running a hand through her hair, "Jarvan and I used to be friends. He and my brother… we had all been together since childhood. Friends. It wasn't until recently that he tried to make it something more. But I didn't feel that way about him. He became less himself, more a slave to the royal ways," Lux said, sitting on the table in the storage room. She made a sandwich out of the wheat crackers and jerky, enjoying the mix of textures.

Talon nodded. He hadn't expected her to be this open.

"I guess it sounds weird. He became more of a Prince, and less… Jarvan. Besides, I kind of felt for someone else," Lux said.

"Ezreal?" Talon asked. His question hung in the air for a bit.

"I guess everyone at the Institute knows," Lux said.

"That night in the gardens was a pretty big tell." Talon said, snapping off a section of jerky in his teeth.

Lux went bright red, "H-how did you know about that?!"

Talon laughed slightly, "Don't worry. I don't think anyone else knows. I'm the only one I know who takes walks around the Institute at that time. It helps me think. That night, I got a little more than I bargained for. I didn't see anything, but the sounds made things pretty obvious."

Lux looked down, "I told Ezreal it was a bad idea, but I guess if you were the only one who heard, it wasn't the worst thing ever."

"From the noises you were making, it seemed you enjoyed it very much," Talon said, finishing up his jerky.

"We aren't talking about this," Lux said, sliding off of the table and standing up, walking out of the room and into the bathroom next to it. Talon heard the sounds of a rusty faucet and nodded. Lux would probably be awhile in there, especially if she decided to make use of the washbasin.

Talon waited in silence, sitting on the bed. The solace of a whetstone and his favorite blade were all his mind required at the time. He had completed his mission, and taking Lux back to Katarina would only prove a minor complication. Given that he had killed the second most important figure in all of Demacia, things had gone surprisingly well.

He shook his head, knowing he shouldn't grow complacent. There was always something else. Lux was far from a compliant hostage, and the fact that he couldn't just kill her was terribly inconvenient.

Talon glanced down the edge of his blade. If he saw brighter colored spots along the edge, it meant that those were dull spots or nicks that needed to be smoothed out. 'Stars', they were called. Looking down the edge, toward the bathroom, he wondered. Did he truly want to kill her? What had she done?

There was no point to thinking this way. His orders were clear.

Lux walked out of the bathroom, her hair still damp.

"There's only one bed. I'll sleep on that chair downstairs… eventually," Talon said, standing up and walking downstairs.

"Goodnight Lux," Talon said, not expecting a response.

Lux gave him a dismissing wave, but kept her silence.


	6. Chapter 6

**_CHAPTER SIX_**

Jarvan, the prince of Demacia. Dead to a hairpin in the back. He slew dragons and made capes from the hides of great northern beasts, but a 3 inch hair decoration had ended his life.

Garen looked at the deadly instrument in question as one of the many court mages suspended it above his hands in magical stasis. The prince's blood was still on the pin - his body had long been removed from the room. The mage handed a floating sphere of light to a high ranking Demacian summoner, who would then take it to the security vault in the barracks. A pair of guards escorted him out of the room. Despite the variety of officials around him, Garen's thoughts were only introspective.

He knew Lux hadn't been happy here. Sitting in a chair, looking at the closet that his sister and his best friend had shared, he wondered what caused them to not get along. The three had been close their entire young lives. He remembered when Jarvan and himself would tease Lux by hiding her books on the arcane arts around the palace - or, on one occasion, on the very top shelf of the pantry. The head chef followed along, and after she couldn't find it for a while, served it to her on a silver platter, pulling back the lid to reveal the long lost volume beside her breakfast.

Still, despite their teasing, they were always there for Lux when she needed it. After delivering a magical distress signal to Demacian headquarters, the two of them had steeled themselves and traveled deep into Noxian territory, carrying the battered and starving Lux back to safety. When she was older, they would sit around the barracks bonfire and drink wine with her, talking about things that mattered - Lux's thoughts on joining the League of Legends with Garen, what Jarvan would change about Demacia when he was king, and the rumors that circulated about Garen and one particular redheaded Noxian.

On one such evening, he remembered Jarvan confiding in him about his feelings toward Lux. He had noticed him giving her affectionate looks from the other side of the fire. After she had gone to bed, Jarvan approached him.

"Garen, look-" he said, unsure how to continue.

Garen put a hand on his shoulder, "I know. Don't worry. I'm sure she'd be glad to know that you feel that way."

"I'm just not sure how to tell her," Jarvan said.

"The Prince of Demacia, slayer of dragons, and apparently no match for a small blonde girl. Come now. I'm sure it'll go over well. Just a warning though… she's kind of crazy," Garen said, slapping him on the back.

Unfortunately, the happy memories dissipated shortly afterward. Between the Institute and Garen's considerable responsibilities, he had little time to talk to either Jarvan or Lux. Lux and Jarvan's relationship was tense from the start, especially since she became very involved with Ezreal shortly after joining the Institute. As soon as he heard about the betrothal, Garen had a bad feeling about it. Even so, he didn't understand why Lux's mood toward his best friend had soured so much in the circumstances. Surely there were countless Demacian women who would have traded places with her in a heartbeat.

He focused his attention back on his surroundings, looking at the painting of the betrothed couple that had been commissioned. It was a lovely scene - Jarvan and Lux held hands and smiled at each other, sitting under a statue in the palace gardens. However, even the artist's brush had difficulty painting a genuine smile on Lux's rose red lips.

"Sir Crownguard," a guard said, ripping him from his reverie.

He responded with only a look.

"The King requests your presence immediately," he said, nodding and stepping away.

The Prodigal Explorer had been in the Demacian Royal Palace many times before, for a variety of reasons. He had never seen the place quite like this, though. The guards and other officials would sprint around, and then intentionally slow down around the throne room or family quarters, as if trying to hide the incident from them. Given the intense state of affairs, he was surprised he had been let in - even so, he was well known as a League champion and ally of Demacia.

He knew he had to find Lux, and to do that he had to talk with Garen - something he'd never do under any other circumstances. Walking past the throne room, he heard Garen's voice.

"...That's something I had briefly considered, my King. If you wish it, I will proudly accept the responsibility of becoming the Prince of Demacia," he said, kneeling. From his vantage point, Ezreal had difficulty hearing the King's voice - it was much lower and more sad than usual. He saw the King put a fatherly hand on Garen's shoulder and stand before walking off, leaving Garen there to contemplate what just happened. Ezreal considered approaching, but a guard brushed past him, walking quickly over to Garen.

"My liege, Lux's wand has been found in the gardens. The summoners suggest you come immediately," he said. Garen looked torn for a moment.

"I must attend to the King. Tell them I'll be there as soon as I can be," he said, saluting the guard and walking to follow King Lightshield. The guard returned the gesture and walked back. Ezreal considered this new information, following the guard.

His path led him through two doors and through the garden, where a group of mages, summoners, and guards were clustered around the place where Lux's wand had been found. No doubt they were looking for further clues - the wand itself was gone, however. One such summoner approached Ezreal.

"Ezreal, what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice skeptical. Ezreal's brow furrowed. He knew this summoner.

"Summoner… Valerias, was it?" Ezreal asked. The summoner nodded.

"We know you were close to Lux, Ezreal, but this is an official Demacian investigation, and I must ask you not to interfere," he responded, his voice doing little to hide his clear reluctance to say such a thing.

"But I can help! If I could just see her wand…" Ezreal said.

Valerias considered this for a second, running a hand through his hair, "Look, Ez, I want to let you help out, I really do, but I have orders here-"

A few guards approached Ezreal from behind Valerias and said, "Ezreal, please remain inside the palace for now. Valerias can't be distracted by champions right now, we need his expertise."

Ezreal frowned, but realized that he would only cause trouble out there now. Valerias shook his head and gave Ezreal a helpless wave as he walked away. However, his eyes sparked with sudden inspiration.

"Why are we still here? Shouldn't we be getting back to the barracks? The Security Vault there contains the wand, surely I should be there!" Valerias said, a little more loudly than necessary. The guards looked at him quizzically, and then reminded him that they needed to be here for now to look for further evidence.

Ezreal gave him a sly smile and walked off through the palace. He knew the layout of the palace ground well - the barracks was in the southwestern corner, near the gardens. Going this way would prove futile, but Ezreal knew a better way. Given his unique talents, he wouldn't need to walk through the garden, simply over it. It's something he had done quite a few times. The hedges were grown around solid wooden posts, and arcane shifting through a window would easily allow him to traverse the garden this way. The garden was easily big enough that avoiding the officials would be easy, even if he had to take a roundabout way to the barracks to do so.

Eventually, he ended up on the barracks roof. Trying to recall the position of the security vault, he took a few steps inward, and then focused his mental energies three stories directly downward. With no windows, he'd just have to hope he didn't arcane shift inside of a shelf, and hope the vault wasn't currently occupied. Normally he wouldn't take such risks, but this was important. He closed his eyes and raised his gauntlet, combining his innate sorcery with the magic of his amulet.

The flash of yellow light and the sound of his shoes hitting the floor at least confirmed that the arcane shift had not gone horribly wrong. He remained quiet, looking around.

"Hmm?" he heard someone say on the other side of the shelves, walking closer to him. Holding his breath, he waited until the sound drew closer before deftly shifting on top of one of the shelves in the corner of the room, crouching to avoid detection. The guard walked back to the front of the room, unsure exactly what happened.

Waiting a few seconds to recover his energy, he quietly crawled along the top of the shelves, looking for her wand. Given that it was a newer piece of evidence, it would likely be closer to the front of the room. He merely had to touch it once, for a few seconds. If his idea worked, that is…

Knowing he didn't have much time, he moved as fast as he could along the old wooden shelf tops, attempting to avoid causing any creaking sounds, testing each step gingerly before fully committing. Finally, he saw it. Swearing inwardly, he realized avoiding detection would be impossible - it was on the guard's desk, no doubt awaiting inspection from Valerias or some other official.

He sighed, and then decided that he didn't have a choice. He jumped down from the shelf and grabbed the wand. The guard stood up immediately.

"Wha-Hey!" said the guard, drawing his sword. But it was too late for him to stop Ezreal from doing anything.

Having memorized what he needed to do before, he lost himself in an arcane bond with Lux's weapon, hoping it would contain some fragment of her last memories before she had dropped it.

He saw nothing except indistinct shapes and colors, but their message was clear: sadness, rage, and terror. He heard Lux's voice, struggling with someone. Her words were unclear and muffled, but the emotions he felt were strangely precise, as if he could feel what she felt at that time - she hadn't wanted to leave, in addition to shock and sadness at her recent loss. He felt the blade against her skin. Her kidnapper was a man - he felt his presence like she did; leather clad, hooded, his voice deep. He had forced her into dropping her wand in the garden before fleeing… somewhere. Toward Noxus. Lux's mental image at the time was some battered room in a rat ridden Noxian slum. Ezreal knew that such a place was likely based on speculation. Then again, she had been to Noxus…

Ezreal withdrew himself from magical contact with Lux's wand and put it back on the desk. He realized that in the thirty or so seconds that had passed, four more guards had entered the room and were surrounding him. He looked back at them with a sheepish grin.

"Uh… Is that a Janna pinup?" he stammered, gesturing toward a random shelf behind the guards before arcane shifting back above the building. Unfortunately, due to his nerves, he overestimated by about four feet, and fell the remaining distance.

"Damn, that could've gone better," he said, sprinting off into the night, hoping that he could find Lux. And if it happened to bring along the Demacian guard on his tail, perhaps it was better that way.


	7. Chapter 7

**_CHAPTER SEVEN_**

She hadn't slept properly in days, and it was starting to show. The skin beneath her pale eyes had darkened into bruised half moons. Despite it, Lux was alert as ever. The past week or so had been nothing but near constant movement as the pair fled Demacian territory. Public transportation had been out of the question due to how recognizable Lux was, so the journey had been arduous to say the least.

Referencing what little landmarks she had happened to see in her previous excursions into Noxian territory, she reasoned that they had at least another day's worth of travel before making it to the city. The musty mattress she laid on only reminded her of the ache in the lower part of her spine.

It was well into the evening and she figured they would be on the move again shortly. Although she couldn't remember exactly when, the pair had taken to traveling during the dark hours of the day. Made sense. The only thing worse than someone seeing her on the way out of the city was someone knowing where they were going. She didn't even know where they were going.

Talon's whereabouts were presently unknown to her. What had begun as a trip under his scrutinous eye had quickly dissipated into a relaxed adventure. Regardless, she still didn't trust him. For all she knew she was on the last stretch of a racetrack that lead to her death. What she wouldn't give to have her wand back.

At least she had her own room. She had rested in her undergarments so that her clothes could dry after she washed them. There was no doubt a feeling of reluctance that would come when it was time to put them back on. Lux was tired of them. Maybe Talon would provide her with some new ones before they reached the city.

An odd sense of companionship had grown between them in the time they spent together. She didn't know what he did when he wasn't around, but he was her only source of company. As much as she hated to admit it, she was just as much a social creature as anyone else.

Stretching, Lux rested her head on her hands and stared at the ceiling with pursed lips. The rage she felt at Jarvan's homicide was still very much present, but the explosive force of it had ebbed into a throb. There was nothing she could do about it presently. Her survival was more important. He was already dead.

Footsteps echoed downstairs in the old building and she turned her head to face her door where knocking would probably come shortly after.

Lux hesitated as Talon knocked. Exhausted and not wanting to hurry into her damp clothes, she sighed.

"Come in," she said. She supposed that she should care, but somehow having Talon see her mostly naked wasn't uncomfortable to her - over the past few days, he had seen her in much worse states.

Talon walked inside, his arms full of clothes, and said, "I had to guess on the sizes, but I'm good at visualizing."

Talon looked up and noticed Lux's lack of modesty, asking, "Would you rather I wait outside the room?"

She shook her head as Talon put her clothes next to her on the bed. Lux was mildly impressed, but did her best not to show it. Given that Talon likely had to find these in some general store in a small Noxus town, the selection was surprisingly decent and at least looked to be her size. She blushed lightly at the panties and bras he had selected. Not lingerie, but not exactly modest either.

"Thanks, Talon," she said before she could catch herself. He nodded and sat next to her, looking at her closely.

"These marks are a shame. I think we can afford a few extra hours of sleep tonight. We're ahead of schedule," he said, lightly caressing her face. She turned away, just barely. Frowning, she thought she should push him away, but she couldn't deny that his touch and caring felt... welcome. As much as she didn't want to admit it, he was attractive in a dark, serious way.

Lux moved closer to him, finding herself kissing his hand. The assassin responded by pulling her closer. With surprising warmth, he pressed his lips against hers.

It was wrong. Lux found tears rushing to her eyes while she returned the kiss - not with warmth, necessarily, but with desperation. She hadn't felt this kind of passion and spontaneity in a long time. Nothing like this had happened between her and Jarvan.

They found themselves separating after a time to breathe.

Lux looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

Talon separated from her, realizing that words in this situation would do no good. He put a hand on her shoulder for a moment, and then walked into the next room.

"If we travel enough tomorrow, we should reach our destination shortly after sunset," Talon said, his speech slightly muffled by the sound of the faucet.

Lux nodded, but then realized that Talon had left the room, "What will happen then? Will you kill me?"

The door creaked open in response, and Lux heard the sound of Talon's boots moving slowly toward her before feeling the weight of him sitting down on the mattress next to her.

"...That isn't my call," he said.

"But what do you think, Talon? Whoever is in charge of you can't have me just go back to Demacia, even under an alternate identity. I know too much," Lux said, looking at Talon again. He met her gaze with his light brown eyes.

"I have influence in this group. I'll see what I can do for you, Lux," he said, standing. He continued, "you should sleep. Tomorrow is our last day of travel."

Lux again found words pointless in this situation, watching Talon's cloaked form walk through the door, the blades on the fringes of the cape glinting in the darkness before the door closed behind him. She laid back on the bed and looked through the window to her side.

'What future is there for me?' ,she wondered. The sparse, distant streetlights of a small Noxian town outside did nothing to brighten her outlook.

'Why couldn't I have been kidnapped by a radical assassin from Piltover instead? I'm sure the beds there are more comfortable, and the sight of those star-rods always made me feel more comfortable...', she thought. Naturally, thinking of Piltover made her think of Ezreal. He would've been concerned for her, but what would he actually be able to do? It was unlikely of Garen to cooperate with him to find her, even in this severe of a situation.

If Talon's leader didn't kill her, it wasn't likely they would be able to hold her prisoner or keep her in obscurity for long. The Institute and the Demacian Army had more power than nearly any other organization in Valoran, and she was important to both of them. Even so, she couldn't ignore the possibility that she may not escape from this situation alive…

She sighed and stood up, walking into the washroom. The small, dusty mirror revealed a small surprise; her countenance was much lighter than she had expected. She could still feel Talon's hands and lips against her, and she recognized the scent of leather and steel that always clung to him - still faintly present.

She shook her head, knowing she shouldn't be thinking of Talon this way. Recalling the otherwise uneventful evening she had shared with Jarvan sometime before he died, he had told her that her service would be required to track down a Noxian agent because there could be a possible attack on a member of the Demacian royal court. Of course, neither of them had ever expected that it would be the prince himself. Although this was all that Jarvan had stated explicitly, if she had still been able to carry out the mission she would have wanted to bring back a more thorough answer to Demacian authorities. Why kill Jarvan? Was there more to this plan?

It was with these thoughts that she allowed herself to drift to sleep. Perhaps it would be uninterrupted for the first time in months.


	8. Chapter 8

**_CHAPTER EIGHT_**

Ezreal passed through the Institute of War simply because it was midway between Demacia and Noxus. He needed to gather a few supplies, and he considered that he may as well spend a night in a bed rather than a tent if it was at all possible. He arrived past sunset, walking at the brisk jog he had tried to maintain the whole way, barely nodding to the guards at the door, who let him in without question.

As he was running through the hallways to his room, a few summoners and fellow champions greeted him in increasingly questioning tones. He had no time for them.

He finally slowed down as he entered the Piltovian living quarters, glad that no one else would attempt to stop him. However, as he rounded a turn in the hall, he discovered Kassadin, leaning next to the door to his room. His brow furrowed - The Void Walker was not someone he had expected at all.

"Hello, Ezreal," he said, his voice sounding as alien and distorted as always from behind his mask, "I know what you're up to, and I've come to offer my assistance."

After a slight pause, Ezreal laughed in response. The sound filled the hallway. Kassadin's yellow eyes narrowed.

"How could you know? I practically sprinted here," he said.

"The Preservers of Valoran have taken particular interest in the person ultimately behind Lux's disappearance. Genereal Du Couteau," Kassadin said, crossing his arms. At this, Ezreal's joking demeanor all but evaporated.

"Katarina's father is in league with the void?" Ezreal asked.

Kassadin nodded, "We don't know exactly where he is now. But when he does return, we suspect that it won't be subtle."

As much as Ezreal wanted to call Kassadin a crazed conspiracy theorist, everything he said was realistic enough to warrant honest consideration. He himself had looked into the disappearance of the General years ago. Supposedly, he had left on a journey to obtain knowledge and power. An evil and ambitious man on a journey for knowledge, disappearing for years -the void was certainly a valid explanation for that.

"Why do you wish to help me, though? And in what way?" Ezreal asked. Kassadin's eyes softened, now that knew Ezreal was taking him seriously.

"It would be best if we stepped inside," was his response. He gestured to the door. Ezreal nodded, opening the door behind him and walking through.

He closed the door behind them and grabbed his pack, starting to shove clothes into it.

"We suspect that this move by Noxus was given by the General - somehow - under the guise of defeating Demacia. It's a ploy. The real intent is to cause war, weakening both of Valoran's largest armies to make way for an invasion from the Void," Kassadin said, pausing to let his words sink in before adding, "If I can help you find Lux and sort things out at the Institute, we can still prepare for whatever may come, hopefully. If it isn't too late.

Ezreal stopped, sat on his bed, and sighed. A stray pant leg stuck out of his pack.

"...It makes too much sense, now that you say it," Ezreal said, "Alright. You can come along. But stealth is the key here. I have some idea of where Lux could be inside Noxus, from what I divined from her wand."

Kassadin nodded and opened the door, "I'll be waiting. Tomorrow morning, before dawn. Sleep well - you'll need it."

Ezreal frowned, he hurried to finish his packing so that he could wash up and then sleep as long as possible.

Once Talon and Lux had entered Noxus proper, they slowed considerably. The crowded and haphazard organization of the city brought an involuntary frown to Lux's face. It wasn't enough for Noxus to be enemies with Demacia - they had to be comically juxtaposed in every way also. The streets of Demacia were organized, well maintained, and impeccably snapped into a grid pattern. In Noxus, a good indication of wealth was the cleanliness of the streets in the area. On the outskirts of the city, where Talon had spent much of his life, he wouldn't have been surprised to find the occasional body in a gutter.

If Lux being seen before was dangerous to Talon's mission, her being seen in Noxus would be dangerous to her life. Talon made sure that her face - and also her blonde hair, unusual for Noxian women - was concealed beneath a dark cloak at all times. In this part of the town, no one so much as gave Lux a second glance. Figures in dark cloaks were commonplace, even in broad daylight.

Even from her constant downward gaze, Lux recognized this part of town, almost down to the street corners. Her undercover missions had taken her here many times. Since she was told not to speak or interact with anyone as they traveled, and to follow behind Talon at all times, she entered a trance of sorts. This was broken when she heard the opening of a door in front of her. She felt a sense of anxiety and relief; their journey was finally nearing an end.

She knew the place. The bawdy laughter, the drinking, the lewd noises from upstairs... it was a brothel - at least to the public. Talon's entrance here indicated that it was actually much more.

"Talon! I was wondering when you'd come back to me," Lux heard in a woman's voice. Not anyone she recognized. A tentative glance up revealed a woman with excessive makeup in her forties.

Talon laughed, "Oh, Madam Lockheart. You know you're like a mother to me," he said, even if his movements indicated that Madam Lockheart's teasing touches were distinctly un-motherly in nature.

"And who is this, hmmm?" she asked. Lux saw her painted fingernails just brush the edge of her hood when Talon, with speed only an assassin could muster, grabbed her wrist firmly. Not to harm her, just to stop her. She gasped and jumped in fright.

"Someone important," Talon said, his voice suddenly cold. Madam Lockheart backed off.

Talon leaned closer to her. Lux could tell that she handed something to Talon after a few short whispers, and they both walked toward the back door, behind the bar. Opening it revealed a musty pantry. Full of a few sacks of dry goods piled upon some barrels of drink, it was as unassuming as ever. Talon closed the door behind them.

"You can take that off now," he said. Lux sighed and obliged, then stretched her neck and yawned.

"I don't suppose the food here will be better...?" she asked, watching Talon shift one of the barrels to reveal a trapdoor. With a key he had likely just received from the Madam, he opened it. It squeaked with rust and revealed a surprisingly ornate and well lit stone staircase.

"I'll try to get you something decent," Talon said, his voice nearly as chill as when he had spoken to the Madam earlier. He handed Lux a thick black cloth and nodded.

"Right," Lux said. She folded it so that it was broad enough to cover from her eyebrows to the tip of her nose, holding it over her face. Talon tied it tightly behind her face.

Without sight, Lux could still sense that the cavern below the shop was expansive. There was an unmistakable feeling of a 'breath' from the cave as they passed through the narrow passage of the stairs into the cavern proper. She stuck close behind Talon, holding his gloved hand in her own.

After a longer than expected walk down a few stairs and up a few more, Talon ended up guiding her into a room and taking her blindfold off. He closed the door behind them.

"No windows on the door, too? You really have thought of everything," Lux said, sitting on the bed. It gave and bounced back, and she tested it a few more times, taken aback that the mattress wasn't made of hay.

Talon nodded, "Well. Can't have anyone revealing any secrets now. Speaking of which, you'll find out after not too long that the window behind you leads out into the street. Please don't try anything," he said, pointing. Beyond a few bars, a diagonal shaft did indeed open up to the sidewalk, likely right outside the brothel. The shaft was a good handful of yards long, and too small to crawl through even for Lux - if the bars hadn't been there, to boot.

"I'm not sure what I could really try. I'm sure people shouting from streetside windows is commonplace here in Noxus," she said.

Talon nodded and sat down next to her, glancing again over at the solid door, double checking if it was closed.

"Lux, I don't want them to kill you," he said, putting a hand on Lux's thigh. She tensed, but made no move to separate from him.

"...That's something you should've considered before kidnapping me," she said, finding true venom in her voice for the first time in a while, "What kind of life can I have after this if you don't kill me Talon? What's my potential? Could I be the best whore in Noxus, maybe, if I stuff my bra and wear a fancy enough wig? If they can't convict anyone of the crime, and you have your sorcerers erase my memory, I can't go back to living in Demacia."

Talon smirked at her prostitution comment, and then looked down, unable to give her a real response.

"I don't have any answers for you, Lux. I'll do the best I can. Let me go get you something to eat," he said, standing up.

"Who are you talking to? I'm not stupid, Talon. Swain? Katarina? LeBlanc? The list isn't long. No matter what you do with me, they'll figure it out eventually. The Institute will never stand for this," she said. Talon frowned and slammed the door behind him, the force making Lux jump a bit.

She didn't bother looking out the window. Nothing out there could help her. Or, so she thought. Having no other way to pass the time, she stripped herself of most of her clothes, enjoying the sensation of the - for once - soft sheets against her skin and laid down.

A few hours later, Talon's knocking awoke her. She frowned, not wanting to withdraw from the comfort of the bed.

"Come in," she said, and Talon walked in, making sure to open the door as little as possible to conceal the outside from her.

"I was able to find some roast duck with rice, and I didn't even have to stab anyone for the fresh vegetables," Talon said, putting the plate on the corner of her bed. She nodded and sat up - quickly throwing her shirt back on before taking the plate - and ate with gusto. Talon had carried a similar plate in as well, eating just as quickly but with less desperation.

"Your chef is talented," she said between bites. Even Lux occasionally grew tired of Talon's silence.

"I'll let her know of your appreciation," he responded.

"It's a shame she couldn't find a more honest line of work," Lux added, making sure to eat every last bit of food on the plate.

Talon paused. His plate mostly cleaned, he put it on the floor before saying, "Sometimes, people do what they have to for survival."

Lux nodded, not really wanting to get into an argument with him. She handed him a similarly clean plate. He discarded it in a similar fashion.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Talon asked nonchalantly. Lux considered the terrible irony of that question. She may have laughed if she wasn't so distraught. As it was, she fought to stop her eyes from tearing up, but failed.

"Find some way for me to live through this, maybe," she said, her words twisted with many different emotions and her voice on the edge of breaking. Talon sensed, strangely enough, no animosity toward him and moved closer to her on the bed. He sighed and removed his gloves, tucking them into his belt. Finding reality to be too much for her at the moment, Lux shut as much of it out as she could; closing her eyes and burying her face in her hands, she sobbed quietly.

Talon realized that nothing he could say would help Lux now. Blades and death were his specialty, but with words he often failed. He paused for a split second, looking at his hands. Perhaps for all the death they had brought, he could use them to comfort the Lady of Luminosity in some small fashion.

Lux felt Talon's hands press against her, tracing lines down her face, pulling her closer by her waist. Not the hands of a killer, but the hands of someone apologetic and sincere. She let him touch her, but as it stood, she did not yet know why. Her grasp mirrored his won, holding onto his wrists. After he had wiped the tears from her eyes and gently guided her back against the bed, Lux was able to meet his gaze.

Their lips met in a soft caress, tasting of Lux's tears. There were no swift actions or lustful gazes. The two let the kiss linger for seconds, before Talon felt a tugging at his shirt, and obliged, giving into Lux's unspoken demands, taking off her shirt as well.

Soon, there was nothing between them.

Talon drew aside the sheets of the bed and positioned himself between Lux's legs, which wrapped around his waist with a surprising strength. It was as if she feared losing him to the very air around her. He had always found her beautiful. The Lady of Luminosity was a fitting title for far more than her magical aptitude. Even in so dark a place, the radiance of her presence and personality was present, as palpable as the curves his fingers moved upon.

Music drifted into the room, heard through the window from a bar close to the brothel. It was a happy song, but not boisterous or too upbeat. Lux was grateful to hear such a thing. She traced her hands gingerly down the taut landscape of his chest and abdomen, her nails lightly scraping along his skin until she encircled his member. She stroked his shaft, bringing forth a moan, which she felt more than heard as Talon kissed her neck. When his strong hands found her modest but sizable breasts, she whimpered and sighed in pleasure.

Lux ground her hips toward him, and he felt the wetness of her arousal on his manhood. She gave into him, and he knew how to hold her. His hands moved along under her back, lifting her toward him slightly.

She was aware of so much: Talon's lips against her neck, the nibbles on her earlobe, Talon's dark masculinity bleeding into all of his actions, and his surprisingly gentleness, as if he could rectify through tenderness the harshness of all of his recent transgressions.

A cry of pain and ecstasy leapt from her throat when he entered her, her wet folds parting for him. It took her a few moments to adjust to his size, and she felt her nails digging into his back. There was no mistake - every indicator her body had was screaming out for Talon to take her, and she cried with more force than before. However, these tears, she dared to guess, may had been born of more than just catharsis. Did she dare to think of joy?

Their bodies now one, they moved in unison. She ground her hips against him, attempting to find the greatest depth with which Talon could penetrate her, the greatest amount of closeness they could attain. Talon shifted himself inside of her until the tip of his cock kissed the entrance to her womb, and she stifled a scream, blushing and burying her face into his neck. He slowed down and made his movements firmer, realizing that he himself was close to the edge.

"Talon..." Lux allowed herself to say. Her voice was still strained, although now the emotions that altered her words were entirely different.

Talon groaned in response to Lux tightening around him, her pussy quivering in pleasure. They both remained still for a few moments before he pulled out of her. She closed her eyes afterward, sighing peacefully.

"Did you...?" she asked.

"No. I was trying to be considerate," he said.

Lux found herself smiling and kissed him briefly before saying, "...Maybe I can taste you, then?" She crawled out of the bed, putting a pillow on the stone floor and kneeling on it.

Talon nodded and stood in front of her, and she let her hands move over his manhood. One of her hands circled the head of his cock while the other teased his balls, indeed feeling their tenseness. She heard him holding his breath and decided she didn't have long, putting her face in front of his cock, making sure her tongue was covering its underside. A few quick motions of her hand at the base of his member caused him to close his eyes and groan, and she felt his hot cum shoot down her throat. After his cock had pulsated a few times and coated her tongue and mouth with his seed, Lux took him deeply in her mouth and slowly pulled backward, cleaning his shaft and head. She swallowed and stood up, hugging him tightly before kissing him.

The adorable noises she made while kissing begged for the entrance of her tongue into Talon's mouth. He agreed nonverbally, fucking her mouth slowly with his own tongue and moaning. After they separated, Talon smiled at her. Still, there was a melancholy edge to both of their gazes. They knew looking at each other would bring sadness.

"I'll do everything I can, Lux," he managed to say, getting dressed quickly and efficiently. Lux looked away as well, hiding her naked form under the sheets. Only the sound of the heavy door closing - gently, this time - told her that Talon had left.


	9. Chapter 9

_**CHAPTER NINE**_

Whispers descending from Lux's window shaft nudged her from sleep. The voice sounded too familiar. She groaned and sat up; the cold immediately reminded her that she was naked. Her stiff fingers found the sheet and brought it upward to cover her breasts.

It was still dark; the only light shining down from the shaft was from a few streetlamps, and she could barely make them out from her vantage point.

'Maybe it was just a lingering sound from my dream...' she considered, looking away from it and lying back against her pillow. 'But sounds from dreams wouldn't have awakened me.'

She shook her head. Who knows what kind of people walked these streets during the night, especially so near a brothel. Anything could've caused the sound.

She wondered if attempting to sleep again was worth it. The bed was comfortable, and for the first time a while, she could feel something close to peace. Even so, Talon was known to wake her at obscene hours. Perhaps now that they were here, someone else would wake her. Maybe today was her last day. Recalling the feeling of Talon's body against her made her blush with warmth despite the cool night air flowing in from the window shaft. She wanted to reminisce about it, indulge in the recent memories - but she was cautious. Talon's loyalties were still unknown, even if he had seemed sincere last night. He had no reason to lie. Killing and focus were his strengths - not lying or manipulation; he was a fairly simple man.

As good as his intentions may have been, whomever commanded him was certainly less kind. With a quick gesture, she turned over in bed and threw the bedsheet over her head. Perhaps in her dreams, she'd hear the familiar whispers again.

Through the screen of her closed eyelids and the sheet over her face, she made out a flash of yellow light to her left. The clack of boots on the floor followed shortly afterward. She uncovered her face to see a familiar explorer.

"Ezreal?" She asked, smiling and sitting up. Her inner desire for modesty was almost as strong as her sense of relief at seeing a friend - or anyone who could've saved her - again, so she reached for a shirt and threw it on quickly, not bothering with a bra.

"Lux!" he said, and then glanced around before he continued in a much quieter voice, "Are you okay? It took me- Oh!"

He was interrupted by an enthusiastic hug.

"How did you find me?" She asked, separating from him. She made a circular motion with her fingers, and Ezreal raised a brow before realizing what she meant. He obliged and turned around, letting Lux get dressed with some semblance of privacy.

"I found your wand at the palace. Unfortunately I couldn't bring it with me - I didn't want to be a fugitive for stealing evidence. I was able to track your memories and emotions, but I couldn't tell who kidnapped you. Who did it? Who killed Jarvan?" He asked, wishing he could turn and face her - despite his attempt at keeping his voice low, his excitement was clear. His gloved fingers made temporary trails through his blonde hair.

"You can turn around, I'm decent enough," she said. Ezreal did so, seeing her wearing panties and pulling her shirt down to cover her stomach. The outline of a bra was barely visible; Ezreal looked back at her eyes - now wasn't the time for such thoughts.

"It was Talon," she said, looking at her skirt as she pulled it up her legs, using that as an excuse to avoid his gaze.

"That bastard. Kassadin talked to me. He says General Du Couteau was the one who ultimately gave the orders. We need to leave now. Are you ready?" he asked, stepping forward. She was just putting on her boots.

"General Du Couteau… but he's missing? It must have been someone else. Swain? Katarina? LeBlanc?" she asked. Ezreal shrugged.

"Those are all good bets. Come," he said, leading her by the hand closer to the window shaft. Once they had reached the wall, he looked up onto the night streets, seeing a pair of yellow eyes.

"Kassadin is here?" Lux asked. Ezreal laughed slightly.

"He was the only one who could really keep up. We need to get out of here as fast as possible. I think, by using my amulet as the focus, we can all jump together outside of the city," he explained, holding her close. She knew what was coming, and held him close.

"Ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be," she said. Lux had traveled that way before, but it took some getting used to. Lux closed her eyes and waited, feeling as if she was weightless for the briefest of moments before appearing outside. She opened her eyes again, sighing with relief.

"Greetings, Luxanna. I'm glad to see you're well," Kassadin said, giving her a polite half-bow.

"Thanks for your help, Kassadin," she said, returning the gesture.

Ezreal merely nodded at Kassadin, and led Lux by the hand over to a darker corner of the streets. They weren't out yet.

"You remember where we discussed, Kass?" Ezreal asked. Kassadin gave the briefest of nods before his alien form disappeared from the Noxian street corner with only a faint purple glow as warning.

The Prodigal Explorer raised his amulet-bearing glove between them and guided Lux's hands to it.

"Close your eyes - we'll be there soon," Ezreal said. Preparing for longer distance arcane shifts took a moment longer. He focused on the location and the amulet, drawing from the energy in his veins as well.

Lux felt her body floating again, but this time it lasted much longer. She grew nauseous from the sensation. Her feet weren't touching the ground, yet she wasn't falling; wasn't moving anywhere, it seemed. It wasn't natural.

Ezreal gasped as he appeared a few feet above the ground, holding Lux next to him. They both stumbled to the ground after the unexpected fall, ending up facing each other.

"Damn. Well, at least we didn't appear that same distance under the ground," He said, looking at Lux

while helping her up, managing a light smile.

Lux glanced at where they had landed. Being buried alive didn't seem much better than dying to one of Talon's fellow assassins. She was glad Ezreal had erred on the side of caution. The landscape around them reminded Lux of where she had traveled with Talon earlier - the bland grasslands between Noxus and Demacia. A horizon of green and brown was only broken by the occasional tree, the leaves long since blown away.

"It was Talon," Ezreal said. Lux turned to see him speaking with Kassadin, who seem as unnaturally composed as ever.

"He was near the top of my very short list. We must inform the council at once," he said, looking off into the distance. Lux realized that he was staring toward the Institute.

"I'm… not so sure." Lux said. The words escaped her lips involuntarily - a product of instinct and emotion more than reason. Ezreal turned back to her, raising a brow.

"They need to know. Where else would we go?" He asked, turning away from Kassadin and toward Lux.

Lux looked down - refusing to meet Ezreal's gaze seemed to a theme for her today. The Institute of War would be a better place for her to go than Demacia, but that would mean the likely execution of Talon. She scratched at the ground with her boot, attempting to find out if she cared enough to consider not turning him in. It didn't matter now. He was as good as dead now. Even if he evaded capture, he could never be seen again.

"He's a murderer, Lux. He needs to be brought to justice, and you need to be cleared of any charges and suspicions," Kassadin said firmly. Ezreal nodded.

Lux ran a hand through her hair and nodded, spying the rising sun as she looked up.

"There's something far more serious than your abduction and Jarvan's death at play here. General Du Couteau is involved in forces far darker than Noxus. We must return to the Institute as soon as possible. Once they find out you're gone, we'll be on borrowed time," Kassadin explained.

"Why can't we go back to Demacia first? I need my wand. If there's any conflict at the Institute, I'll be useless without it," Lux said.

Kassadin and Ezreal stare at each other, having a few second's worth of conversation without words. Reading the Voidwalker's expression was like attempting to glean meaning from the ocean floor from the surface, but Ezreal at least seemed to be considering Lux's idea.

"We now have three witnesses that it was Talon who kidnapped you. That should be enough to convince Garen," Ezreal said, looking down, and then into Lux's eyes, "...right?"

Lux nodded tentatively. She really hoped so, but the only thing that she had ever known to interfere with loyalty to his family was his devotion to justice or Demacia. If he had just been named Prince, as she expected, then she had to be more cautious about making such assumptions.

"It makes enough sense for me," Kassadin said. "You'll be safe there for now. Ezreal, do you have enough in you for the jump to Demacia?"

Ezreal glanced at his amulet and took a deep breath, "I can get us to the gates, but shifting to the palace would be a stretch. You?"

Kassadin gave a dismissive wave and shook his head, "The void is ever present. It's harder for me to stay on this realm than walk in the next. Unfortunately, I cannot bring either of you. You have to bring Lux as close as possible. I can locate your magic afterward. Don't wait for me - I'm less welcome in Demacia than either of you. I'll find you when I can."

Without another word, the Voidwalker nodded and disappeared once more into the darkness.

"Lux, I didn't want to ask with Kass around, but… are you alright?" Ezreal asked, looking at Lux. His gloved hands rested gently on her shoulders, turning them both away from the rising sun. Ezreal couldn't help but smile despite the seriousness of the occasion. The coruscant light moving through their blonde hair and reflected in their blue eyes drew him back to older memories. One of the jokes they had was that Ezreal would've made a pretty girl. He laughed it off, but in a way the similarity of their features was just another reason for his closeness with Lux. Every time he saw himself in a mirror, he was reminded of her.

"I'm alive. Obviously it wasn't a dream vacation," Lux said, managing a tight lipped smile. Ezreal nodded.

"Right, but did he hurt you… or anything?" Ezreal asked, his hands sliding from her shoulders down her arms, as if trying to find out if parts of her were missing. Lux appreciated the sentiment, but she knew her scars were more than skin deep.

"No," she said, looking down.

Ezreal frowned.

"Lux… you can tell me, you-" he said. His hands had now reached her own.

"No, Ezreal. He didn't do much of anything. Talon didn't have orders to kill me, so he didn't," she said, looking into his eyes.

"Alright, I understand. Are you ready?" he asked, hugging her close again. She nodded into his shoulder, and they shifted through space.


	10. Chapter 10

_**CHAPTER TEN**_

Update January 2016 - In an attempt to improve the cohesion and feeling of this story, I've made a series of serious changes. Large sections of the story have been rewritten. I hope you enjoy the result.

* * *

Just as gravity's pull returned to her form like a familiar embrace, the voices of the guards at the gate faded into her consciousness.

"Halt! By order of the King!"

Lux looked to Ezreal. She had separated from him immediately after their travel, but now she sought his hand again. Were these guards, who once watched over her while she slept, truly a threat? Their armored boots clacked firmly across the cobblestone. They were surrounded - the sun shone through the gate beyond their pauldrons, igniting the circle of drawn blades with light. She found no comfort in its warmth.

"Ease up, we aren't here to cause trouble," Ezreal said, holding his hands up and letting the guard direct their motion.

"You would be wise to save your words for the judge, Piltovian," One of the guards said - Lux recognized the eagle crest on his helm, signifying his rank as lieutenant. The guard immediately to his right gave him a reluctant glance - Lux tried to catch his eye, but he turned away, following his commanding officer.

The streets of Demacia were quiet - as was normal on a weekend morning. Still, a few shopkeepers who faced demand every day of the week recognized the unusual procession passing them. A baker solemnly informed his children to stay inside, not wanting them to succumb to the curiosity. Before obeying their father, one small blonde child pointed to Lux. She looked down, hiding behind her hair. Even over the sounds of the armored guard marching together, the people's voices beyond were loud. Caustically so. How could she ever again speak to these people? Demanding their respect after being escorted through the streets, as if she were a danger to them - it would be impossible.

Ezreal put a hand on her shoulder, and she bothered to look up again. At him. He said nothing, but without words, his soft eyes and slight nod seemed to say It'll be alright, Lux.

But Ezreal seemed torn by another thought.

"Where is that purple bastard?" he whispered. Lux had all but forgotten. They had nearly reached the palace by now, where Kassadin mentioned he would meet them. Alas, the Voidwalker was not near the open gate or among the polished marble of the palace entrance. She could only see more guards.

Were there always so many of them? She wondered. Ezreal's hand again pressured her shoulder, but this time to restrain her. They had stopped.

"They're to be taken to Prince Garen immediately," The lieutenant stated, saluting his own commanding officer ahead of them.

"At ease. They'll be escorted there post haste. Return to your stations promptly - we don't wish the populace to be disturbed by our increased presence," The Captain stated. The guards surrounding the two blonde fugitives parted, replaced by a less numerous but more elite force.

Garen, Lux thought. She shivered despite the rays of dawn. They walked onward, and she looked again to Ezreal. If I'm scared of meeting Garen, he must be terrified…

The guards at the door stood at attention, almost twitching with eagerness to salute - parting the way for the condemned. The throne room was reached shortly. Garen sat in what was once his dear friend's throne, next to the empty seat of the King. Jarvan's crown seemed to weigh on his features, compressing them. Lux hadn't noticed such prominent lines on Garen's forehead, or around his frown, until now. But his drawn sword, lying across his lap, truly stole her focus.

"Garen-" she attempted. He held up a gauntlet-shrouded hand, and then gestured to the Captain.

"Leave us," he said. The Captain nodded his acquiescence and departed, his soldiers following him and shutting the grand doors behind them.

"I'm going to ask only once, Lux. Why did you run?" Garen asked, resting his hands on his blade.

"I was kidnapped," Lux said, "by Talon."

"Talon. Is he also responsible for the death of our late Prince?" Garen asked. His voice strained at the strangeness of the words leaving his mouth. He had always referred to that late friend as simply Jarvan, until now.

"Garen, don't talk to me like-"

"Was he responsible?!" Garen yelled. In the now closed chamber of the throne room, his booming voice echoed. Lux could not meet his gaze, and among all of the grandeur of the throne-room's ceilings, found no solace.

"Yes. Talon stabbed him with my hair pin - I walked in just after he had done so," Lux said, scarcely more than a whisper.

"And can you prove it?" Garen enunciated perfectly.

Lux held her hands together in her lap, weighing his words, "Ezreal. Ezreal saw where I was captured and held."

Garen acknowledged Ezreal's existence for the first time - his warrior's eyes held every bit as much steel as his blade.

"Ezreal, I'll remind you that lying to the Crown is a heinous crime, even for a citizen of an allied country. Did you see Talon?" Garen asked.

"I saw her in a cell in Noxus. A basement with barred windows," He explained. Garen squared his shoulders against the back of his throne.

"But you didn't actually see Talon?" He asked.

Ezreal lowered his gaze from Garen's eyes, and Lux saw tears welling above his face paint.

"Yes, I saw Talon. He shared a meal with Lux last night. I suppose even beasts enjoy playing with their food," he said. By the end of his words, the venom in his voice raised the hairs on the back of Lux's neck - she knew who it was directed at. She couldn't meet anyone's gaze, and covered her face with her hands. She could feel the heat rising to her face.

"I cannot allow you to be absolved of suspicion through one witness alone. Can you provide another?" Garen asked.

"I believe I can assist you, Prince," Kassadin stated. He drifted from beside Garen's throne, and his voice caused Garen to grasp his sword reactively.

He relaxed and looked to Lux after seeing that Kassadin was no threat, "Kassadin. Please state your business or remove yourself from the room. You're lucky I reacted with words rather than my blade."

Kassadin raised an open hand, "Please, Garen. I mean no harm. Ezreal and I rescued Lux from Talon's hideout in Noxus. I can assure you that he is the one who kidnapped her. However, he is not the one behind it. Talon is guilty of murdering your friend, but under the orders of the Noxian High Command."

Garen nodded and then rose from his throne, sheathing his blade, "I was right. The Institute of War has failed. Lux - you are hereby acquitted of all suspicion. Your wand awaits you in the armory."

Garen walked across the polished floor and opened the doors urgently. The guards on the other side saluted immediately, shocked to see him standing.

"Captain. Let it be known that Lux, Ezreal, and Kassadin are acquitted of all suspicion, and inform the servants to prepare quarters for them immediately. Find new quarters for Lux, of course. Send for the General and the King. I must see them immediately," Garen stated. The Captain lowered his salute and went about his orders.

"Garen, if I may - you intend to declare war on Noxus. This is unwise," Kassadin said.

"You may not, Voidwalker. You're lucky I've tolerated your presence this long," Garen said, turning to face Kassadin.

"This goes beyond the pride of nations. General Du Couteau is behind this, but the glory of Noxus is not his motivation," Kassadin said.

Garen gestured with his hand, "Very well - go on."

"The General left years ago, seeking power and knowledge. I saw him when I lost myself on the other side. The Void has taken him. If you think I'm a monster, he is something else entirely. He was evil before his transformation, and now, along with Malzahar, he seeks the destruction of this world… By submitting it to the Void," Kassadin stated.

The acting Prince paced back to his throne, idly placing a hand on the pommel of his sword, "So you would have me not declare war with Noxus, for murdering my friend and the Prince of our country?"

Lux glanced between the ominously masked figure and her brother. At least this was an excuse to avoid Ezreal's gaze.

"I can understand you personal loss, Garen, and you have my sincere condolences. But Valoran must be preserved, above the pride of nations. Surely, you understand the validity of the threat we face. Jarvan's death - while tragic - was a ploy to weaken your armies as well as those of Noxus," Kassadin explained.

Garen frowned and rested his head on his hand, "Unfortunately, what you say makes sense. What, then? Do we seek out the council and demand a meeting with them? What of Talon's punishment?"

"Justice will be served," Kassadin said, "But first, you assume correctly - we must set out for the Institute immediately. I can issue a summons to the Noxian authorities myself."

Garen approached the Voidwalker again, until their eyes were less than a hand apart, "If you've deceived me in any way, I'll make certain to seek you out for justice the second Talon's noose is tied."

Lux hid her face again. She wanted to hug Ezreal, to find some escape from all of the brutality that had entered her life - but she couldn't. The Explorer had a very un-Ezreal-like deadpan expression of grimness, focused on the distant wall. His leather clad arms did not respond with their usual parting when she took a step toward him. She didn't bother to wipe away the tears the made her lashes stick together, knowing there was much more to come.

At least Ezreal's frigidity made it easier to not remember those moments when Talon had comforted her.

"I can assure you, I harbor no ill intent toward you or your nation," Kassadin said. "Thank you for your hospitality - I must now depart."

Kassadin gave Garen a polite half bow before fading into the violet light of the Void.

"Ezreal. You have my sincere gratitude for returning my sister to Demacia safely. However, I'd like to speak with her alone," Garen said. Ezreal obliged without a word, disappearing in a flash of yellow light.

Was that really necessary? Lux couldn't help but wonder. Shrouding her own face to wipe away her tears, she realized that Garen was crying as well.

She rushed over and embraced his massive form.

"How am I supposed to do this, Lux? Look at everyone through the same lense? But Gods, I'm glad you're safe…" Garen said, massaging her back in circular motions. Lux let her tears flow freely, painting a wet trail on the shoulder of Garen's cape.

"I love you, Garen," she said. At first, she thought of Jarvan, wondering what he would say, but she pushed the thoughts from her mind. "We can't dwell on what happened. You're fit for this."

She separated from him and wiped away both of their tears, "If anyone ever was…"

Garen looked up, gently holding Lux's hand - almost as if it were fragile. Like she'd break.

"Did Talon hurt you, Lux?" He probed her hands and wrists, searching for scars. The touches felt strange - she wasn't used to such attention, but she could feel the brotherly weight of Garen's concern behind them, so she humored him.

"No, he… He had orders to harm no one else, and he obeyed them," she said. "But he did force me to drop my wand in the garden."

"I never really thought I'd admit it, but thank the Gods for Ezreal's resourcefulness. Otherwise you'd still be with that bastard," he said, letting her go.

"I'm glad to be home, but for now I should retrieve my wand, and perhaps rest before lunch?" She asked, putting her hands on Garen's shoulders, "And a bath might be appreciated…"

"Of course. I'm certain the servants will attend to your needs," he said, moving to kiss her forehead. She obliged and gave Garen a genuine smile. Now that Ezreal wasn't truly glad to see her anymore, it was nice that someone did.

She gave him a polite half bow in parting and moved across the familiar marble floor, opening the smaller door-within-a-door to leave.

"Lady Luxanna," the General and King said to her nearly in unison. They exchanged bows, and she departed for the armory, downstairs. Ezreal could wait. There was another friend she still had to be reunited with.


	11. Chapter 11

_**CHAPTER ELEVEN**_

"Jarvan is dead. By that measure, I've succeeded. However, Lux has escaped our grasp, and now all of Demacia will know of my guilt," Talon announced grimly. Even through his normally iron resolve, he pulled at the leather-shrouded wood of the chairs in Swain's council chamber.

Katarina, luxuriating across a sofa along the near wall, laughed before speaking, "Well, haven't you always desired to live in the shadows? Now you will. Your service to the Institute is forfeit, but what of it? You've all but rendered its existence obsolete."

Talon idly massaged the skin on the bridge of his nose, looking to Swain, waiting on his gravelly voice to present his judgment.

LeBlanc spoke up instead, "Katarina has the right view, I think. The only task left is to contact former General Du Couteau."

The mage crossed her legs, allowing her revealing outfit to display even more of her enticing thighs. Talon looked away, toward the crimson and golden threads of the rug.

"Talon. You are to remain here in Noxus for the time being. Obviously your presence anywhere else - especially the Institute of War - would only be cause for guilt. While you have succeeded in killing Jarvan, you have not succeeded in successfully shifting the blame. Our original intent was to cause Demacia to fight amongst themselves. Jarvan was a great leader and Prince, but Demacia has no shortness of those. Garen and the King are still forces to be reckoned with," Swain said. Beatrice, his raven, casually nuzzled it's feathered face against Swain's cheek.

"You've managed to give greater cause for Demacian unification - the opposite of our original intention," He continued. His voice was even, cold.

Talon nodded grimly, looking briefly over to Katarina. The worry in her eyes marred her features as clearly as her scar. Swain rose, walking toward Beatrice's cage, removing the large bird from his shoulder and putting her inside. She obeyed in short order, although a reluctant squawk escaped her beak.

"However… you have removed Jarvan from the picture, meaning that if the Institute of War does manage to continue its existence, we have one less champion to worry about, and if there is a coming conflict, they will have to find someone to replace him. Or, perhaps they will find someone to replace Garen, assuming Garen has already replaced Jarvan. There aren't many men of that caliber. Additionally, you will be of some use in the coming conflict, no matter its nature. You will remain in our service for now, but do not think that your failure is forgotten. It would've been better for you if you had never set out on that job. Another mistake from you, and I'll have no choice but to feed you to Beatrice," Swain said, returning to his seat and staring at everyone before returning to stare down Talon.

Talon rose and bowed to Swain, "Your graciousness is humbly accepted. I will not fail you again, My Liege."

"I would hope not. Now, LeBlanc, you mentioned the summoning of the former General…?" Swain said. Talon returned to his seat, looking at the mage. The barest signs of relief glimmered in his eyes. Now that he knew he was (at least temporarily) safe, he let them wander over her form.

LeBlanc noticed, but responded only with a smile, "Yes, I can summon him. But we'll need to overturn this rug, where I've already drawn the summoning circle."

Her dainty, gloved fingers gestured. Black satin.

Talon removed himself from his seat again and walked to the rug. He picked it up and rolled it into a tight cylinder while the others approached.

"I find this unwise," a voice said. It echoed around the chamber. They couldn't pinpoint the location, but the timbre and muffled quality of the voice meant that it could only belong to one person - Kassadin.

Talon dropped the rug and drew his blade.

"Reveal yourself, voidwalker," Swain said, glancing around.

"That would also be unwise. You are wrong about the General's intentions. His allegiance is not to Noxus, but to the Void," Kassadin said.

Swain frowned, but he managed a nod and rested both of his hands on his staff, glancing at the runes in LeBlanc's circle.

"Hmm. Very well, you may appear, we will suppress our desire to eviscerate you," He offered. Kassadin appeared in a flash of purple light on the opposite side of the circle.

"Speak, before we change our minds," LeBlanc said, the crystal atop her staff aglow with arcane power.

"The General was one of the few beings I recognized while I was trapped within the void. Even now, it is difficult to shroud myself from him in that realm. Each time I travel through the void, he draws closer. He cares nothing for Noxus, or for Demacia. His true intention is to weaken both of you in order to allow for an easier assault from the Void. Malzahar is one of his only real allies in Valoran now," Kassadin said.

Swain huffed, "You've long held Malzahar in discontent. How do you know we're not being played? Do you intend to use the might of Noxus to destroy your rival?"

"Five steps ahead, as always. If you do not believe my conjecture, I can show you something more concrete. The runes in this circle - are unknown to both you and LeBlanc. Talon and Katarina have no real knowledge of the arcane, but you, and especially LeBlanc, are masters. Yet these characters escape you. Tell me: what language is this?" Kassadin gestured downward at the white lines of chalk scrawled on the black marble.

Swain raised a brow and looked to LeBlanc, stepping toward her, "Unfortunately, he's correct. Where did you come to know of these?"

"The General appeared to me in a vision only last night," LeBlanc confessed. Talon laughed, but stopped when LeBlanc looked at him.

"The void is closer to the realm of dreams than the material world. These characters are the language of the Void," Kassadin said, kneeling to examine them.

"If you wish for further evidence, speak with the general still. I would surmise that he'll recommend an immediate and upfront assault with all forces, rather than anything slower and more tactical. If and when you decide that I'm correct, I would ask that all of you - except Talon - show up at the Institute tomorrow. A threat from the Void is a threat to all of Valoran. Your national interests are nothing compared to that," Kassadin announced, looking directly at Swain with his yellow orbs. With that, he bowed and departed in another flash of purple light.

"My father would never ally himself with the Void. This is a ploy on behalf of Demacia," Katarina said, sheathing her blades.

"Kassadin is as much an ally to Demacia as his is to us. As much as I wish it weren't true, he makes sense. Summon him," Swain said, returning to one of the seats with a limp.

Lux watched the rays of light in the garden distort and dance around the golden curves at the end of her wand. As comfortable as that leather handle was in her glove, and as refreshing as it was to finally be bathed and clean after so long, the magic of light manipulation did not cast a shadow over the concerns in her mind: Ezreal and Talon.

At her request, the guards had cleared out of the armory, leaving her in that large hall, populated now only by her, the empty suits of armor lining the walls, and innumerable swords and weapons of every fashion. The white marble and gold leaf of the room's decor seemed dull, despite her magic lights.

She saw a yellow burst of light from the doorway, but didn't bother to look up.

"I used that to find you, you know. But for some reason I didn't take it with me. The Demacian guards may have been on my tail, but ultimately that would've been only a good thing. The wand showed me how you felt…" Ezreal said, crossing the room. He didn't share the bench Lux sat on, instead leaning against an adjacent weapon rack.

"The fear and revulsion were clear. So… why the change of heart? I watched it happen. You wanted it at least as much as he did," He said.

Lux felt the heat rise to her face. She turned to face him, her eyes fierce.

"Have you ever been kidnapped, Ezreal? Why do you care if Talon and I shared something? He didn't hurt me," Lux said. Ezreal folded his arms.

"Gods. You actually care for him. And you think he cares about you? I don't think Talon could care about anything! You know he felt nothing when he killed your former prince!" Ezreal said. His mouth tightened in the grimace of disgust.

"You don't know him! You don't even know me!" Lux said - but her hand immediately flew to her mouth.

Ezreal found himself speaking with a tone he never thought he'd use toward Luxanna, "You're right. I don't. Maybe when Talon is dead you'll be able to think straight. You disgust me."

With that, Ezreal departed, his arcane shift taking him away from Lux's side.


End file.
